← Back to Feels Blog
App Comparison · Gen Z Dating
A young person deciding between two dating apps on their phone

Feels or Hinge, which dating app is right for you?

One app is built to get you off it as fast as possible. The other assumes that is not everyone's goal.

5 min read · ·
Hinge Alternative Hinge Review Dating Apps For Young Adults App Comparison
Quick answer: Hinge markets itself as designed to be deleted, built around finding one serious relationship fast. Feels does not assume that is everyone's goal, letting people set a Casual, Exclusive, Intimate or Friendly Intention instead. Both use prompts over pure photo swiping, but audience and flexibility differ.

What is Feels and how does it differ from Hinge's designed to be deleted approach?

Hinge's whole positioning centers on one outcome, matching you with someone serious enough that you stop needing the app. Profiles lean heavily on written prompts and photos, and the design pushes toward exclusivity as quickly as it reasonably can.

Feels starts from a different assumption. Not everyone opening a dating app wants the same thing right now, so Feels asks you to set an Intention, Casual, Exclusive, Intimate or Friendly, before a match happens, and builds profiles from 6 photos or videos plus 3 personality prompts instead of assuming one goal fits everyone.

Both apps agree that a stack of photos alone does not say much about a person. Where they differ is what happens once that point has been made.

What makes Feels different from an app built for one outcome?

Flexible from the startCasual, Exclusive, Intimate or Friendly, chosen before a match happens, not assumed by the app itself.
Video, not just textPrompts paired with video give a fuller sense of someone than a caption under a photo.
Built for one age groupEvery prompt and every Intention option is designed around being under 30, not adapted from a general audience app.

The prompts format works, which is presumably why more than one app now leans on it. Feels borrows the instinct and applies it to a narrower, more specific audience, with more room for what you are actually looking for right now.

Is Feels a good alternative to Hinge for Gen Z daters?

Hinge tends to attract people who already know they want something serious, and its whole design reflects that. For someone under 30 who is not sure yet, or who is looking for something other than exclusivity, that can feel like a mismatch before a first message is even sent.

The press has picked up on Feels' own positioning too. The Verge called it "a dating app that reinvents dating as a social network", TechCrunch praised "an interactive format that breaks the rules of swiping", France 24 named it "the French startup winning over under 25s", and GQ France described "a refreshing and authentic approach to online dating".

How does Feels compare to Hinge?

A side by side, the format each app pushes you toward, and who it is actually built for.

Feature comparison, Hinge vs Feels for daters under 30
HingeFeels
Profile formatPhotos with written promptsPhotos, videos and personality prompts
Core audienceGeneral audience, skews relationship focusedUnder 30, flexible Intentions
Matching styleLike a specific photo or promptReactions to content
PositioningDesigned to be deleted, built for one outcomeMultiple Intentions, no single assumed outcome

Where does Feels fit in a dating app landscape built around one outcome?

The dating app market is saturated, and a lot of it now agrees that prompts beat plain photo grids. Where apps still disagree is on audience and assumption, whether every user wants the same outcome, and whether that outcome should be decided by the app or by the person using it.

Downloaded more than 10 million times with over 100,000 reviews across app stores, Feels is available across Europe (France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands) as well as Canada. Letting people name what they actually want, rather than pointing everyone toward the same ending, is the bet Feels is making.

Frequently asked questions

Sourced from the official Feels Help Centre

What is the idea behind Feels?

No judgement, no codes. Feels is the place to meet people without worrying about gender or sexual orientation. You introduce yourself through photos, videos and personality questions, then browse profiles and choose to send a Like, a DM, or pass. When two people like each other, it becomes a Good Vibe and the conversation starts.

Is Feels free?

The app is free to download on the App Store and Play Store. You can send Likes, get Good Vibes, start chats and send DMs for free every day. If you want to unlock more features, Feels offers two subscriptions: Fastpass and Infinity, each with their own perks.

What are Intentions on Feels?

On Feels, you can indicate your intentions and what you are looking for. There are 4: Exclusive if you are looking for something serious, Casual if you want to meet people with no pressure, Intimate if you are looking for some spice in your life, and Friendly if you are looking to make new friends.

What is the minimum age to use Feels?

The minimum age to use the app is 18. As Feels is a dating app, it is legally required to restrict access to minors. As stated in the Terms and Conditions, members must be over 18 and guarantee that all information provided during sign up is accurate and up to date.

What subscriptions does Feels offer?

Feels offers two subscriptions. Fastpass lets you send unlimited Likes, discover other users' Vibes, boost your profile once a week for 12 hours, and revisit past profiles. Infinity adds the ability to see who already liked your profile, filter the people you want to see, send Super Likes, activate Travel Mode to appear in any city, and send unlimited Likes.

See more articles →

Strictly Under 30

Join the dating app inspired by social media.

All product comparisons are based on publicly available information and reflect the author's assessment at the time of publication.